A Moment with Saint Katharine for May

   

  The daughter born to Francis Anthony and Hannah Langstroth Drexel on November 26, 1858, was baptized “Catherine Mary Drexel.” 1858 was the year of the appearances of Our Blessed Mother in Lourdes. Kate, as the child was affectionately called, and her family visited the Shrine at Lourdes in 1875. As a young woman, Kate and her two sisters returned to Lourdes in 1884 and 1886.

         Is it any wonder that St. Katharine had a great devotion to Our Lady?

         St. Katharine urged the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to “not forget to propagate as much as possible devotion to the Rosary and meditation on the mysteries.” We can imagine the various stages of Our Lord’s life from His Birth to His Ascension into heaven, seating at the right hand of God the Father. We can also imagine Our Lady’s role in Jesus’ life from the Annunciation, the Wedding Feast of Cana, the establishment of the Eucharist, and her Assumption and Coronation as Queen of heaven and earth. At the Wedding Feast of Cana, somehow Mary learned of the newly wed couple’s dilemma – they were out of wine! Mary merely mentioned it to her Son; He brushed her off, saying, in effect, so what? Nonetheless, Jesus changed water into fine wine. And fine it was; the in-laws noted that most hosts serve the best vintage first and the lesser vintages after the guests had been drinking awhile. With the help of Mary and Jesus, the newly weds served the best last. We may have to go through a few struggles like running out of wine but if we go to Mary, she will intercede with her Son to help us through any dilemma. St. Katharine noted: “If God the Father deemed Mary holy enough to Mother His only Son, who is there who may not confide ourselves to her – we are her children.”

         We have recently celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday. St. Katharine noted that the Heart of God was “full of pity and mercy,” an “ocean of mercy.” In traveling to Rome to get the Constitutions approved, St. Katharine would have spent days and weeks surrounded by only the ocean. But she knew that God was always with her, on land or on an “ocean of mercy.”

         May we grow to feel the presence of Jesus and Mary around us at all times.

         In May we also celebrate Memorial Day, remembering all the deceased members of our military. St. Katharine could hear the rumble of troop trains, traveling on the tracks just beyond the Motherhouse. She prayed for the soldiers and their chaplains. We can also pray for members of our armed forces and their chaplains, living and dead, each day.

         Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Stephanie Morris, Ph.D., ASBS
April 26, 2026

 

 

 

 

Easter

Saint Katharine reflected that “The Sabbath Day had now begun, a day of quiet mourning and hope – the dusk of Good Friday and the dawn of Easter Sunday seem to blend together.”

Saint Katharine also noted that the Eucharist was the continuation of the Incarnation and reproduction of Jesus’ Passion and death. During the Last Supper, Jesus transformed bread and wine into His Body and Blood. Did the Apostles realize this during the Last Supper? After the Resurrection, the Apostles came to realize the depth and breadth and meanings of Jesus’ teachings.

Good Friday and Easter Sunday were the reasons why Jesus was born. He was born to live to teach us and to die to atone for our sins; He was born to rise from the dead to provide us the way to rise to eternal life and glory.

During the Way of the Cross, Mary met her Son, bloodied and exhausted. Her concern is reflected in that of parents today who are concerned about the welfare of their children.

Veronica wiped the face of Jesus. Under normal circumstances, this would have seemed a normal act. Now, it was an act that showed the pained humanity of Jesus and the normal, human concern of one person for another.

What did Simon of Cyrene think when the soldiers pulled him onto the path to help carry the cross of a condemned criminal? He and his son had just finished a hard day’s work and now he was forced to be associated with a dirty, bloody criminal. What did Simon of Cyrene think on Easter Sunday? Did he realize that he had helped God during a difficult time? Do we realize that we may be helping angels in disguise when we do another person a kind favor?

This Easter, may our appreciation deepen of what Jesus has done for us and the graces available to us daily. May our love for God and one another grow daily, blossoming into the person God wants us to be. May we appreciate the love God has for us, individually and personally.

May you have a blessed and joyful Easter!

Stephanie Morris, Ph.D., ASBS